Microphone Check

Marley Marl is one of the most important people in hip-hop history. He's the one who figured out how to sample — how to get pieces of songs off vinyl records and into a drum machine. More than 30 years later, and 25 years after his first album, 1988's In Control Vol. 1, he sat down with Microphone Check hosts Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Frannie Kelley to tell stories about the moment he realized what his discovery meant, why the New York City Housing Authority should get a co-producer credit on some of his records and how he and LL Cool J got inspired to make Mama Said Knock You Out. The seminal producer also tells stories about Mr. Magic, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie.